When looking at vernacular dwellings around the world， those from China are particularly rich in culture. Chinese vernacular dwellings， which have raised widespread concerns in various circles， are valuable legacies of ancient Chinese architecture. The conservation of Chinese vernacular dwellings has been enhanced in past years. However， with rapid economic development， improved living standards and urban buildings， the study and conservation of vernacular dwellings should be further increased， so that national architecture can become further treasured and appreciated by more people. The richness of Chinese vernacular dwellings is closely related to the country's situation. Firstly， to tackle the housing issue， people at different times in China's long 5000-year history made various attempts at improving their dwellings， and there is evidence of this rudimentary shelter. Secondly， China has a vast territory，which covers high mountains， vast plains and grasslands， river networks， loess plateaus and dense forests， which not only provides various local building materials， but also determines the fundamental selection criteria in different regions. 本书是孙大章研究员在多年潜心研究我国传统民居的基础上，专为面向国内广大读者和国外读者而编写的一部通俗易懂、图文并茂的中国民居图书。全书由两部分组成。第一部分为“民居建筑美学概说”，从理论上阐述民居建筑美观产生的过程、表现及规律。第二部分采用900余幅各地民居具有代表性的精美图片，从环境、聚落、造型、院门、结构、材料、装修、装饰、信物、陈设十个方面直观表现了绚丽多彩的中国民居之美。本书可称得上是一部展现中国民居之美的大全，资料全、类型全，充分展示了中国民居的多样性。本书采用全彩色印刷，真实呈现了我国民居所蕴含的美，不仅具有资料价值，同时也具有收藏价值。